The Great War Archive

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Introduction

The Great War Archive contains over 6,500 items contributed by the general public between March and June 2008. Every item originates from, or relates to, someone's experience of the First World War, either abroad or at home. Contributions were received via a special website and also through a series of open days at libraries and museums throughout the country.

The original Great War Archive initiative accepted contributions until June 2008. After that, people have been invited to share images that they have by posting them to The Great War Archive Flickr Group. To post to the group you will need to set up a free Flickr account.

The Great War Archive has also been working with Europeana to extend this initiative. The Europeana 1914-1918 project has been receiving contributions in Germany since 2011, and further activities will take place in 2012 in Luxembourg, Ireland, UK, Slovenia, Denmark, and Belgium.

Many thanks to all those who have contributed to this initiative and assisted in our open days.

Editor's pick

Best foot forward at Slovenia WW1 roadshow

On May 23rd 2012, the Europeana 1914-1918 roadshow held at the Public Library in Celje, Slovenia, turned up a reminder of both the injuries that were inflicted by the First World War, and the determination to combat such hardships displayed by those at the front.

A prosthetic leg with two different foot attachments belonging to Jakob Veber was brought to the road show by family member, Stanislav Veber. The leg and its two feet, made of wood, leather and iron rivets, are very well preserved. Jakob used the best foot (the full foot) for formal occasions, and the simple stump foot for field work and domestic use.

Along with the prosthetic limb, Stanislav brought his family’s story to the roadshow:

Jakob Veber, born 20th January 1888, grew up on a farm in Galicija near Žalec with his two brothers. All three young men were recruited to the Slovenian armed forces during the First World War and Jakob went to fight on the Eastern Front in Russia. It was in 1917, aged 29, that he lost his right leg on the battlefield. Despite this horrific injury, Jakob remained at the front until the end of the war with the help of a prosthetic leg and two fake feet. When the war ended, Jakob was able to return home.

Sadly, the same cannot be said of his brother, Janez, who was killed during the war, leaving behind him a wife, Maria Veber, and their three children, Franca, Angelo and Jožefo. Jakob, the injured war veteran, went on to take care of his sister-in-law and her family.

Years later, Jakob and Maria married and had two boys of their own, Vincent and Adolf. Mixed fortunes then followed the family. Maria died aged 47 in 1936, and when war broke out again, both boys were drafted, like their father and uncles before them, into the armed forces. They both fought through the Second World War and fortunately survived. Their father Jakob died aged 61 on 15th March 1949.

Jakob’s prosthesis is the first example of a prosthetic leg that the project has collected so far. You can see photos of WW1 German soldier, Herman Peschel with his prosthetic arms here.

Click here for more pictures

By Beth Daley

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